The Slave
by The Doe Eyed Girl
Summary: In the barren Arab lands, Rukia lives the life of a slave only for one person-her foster sister, Inoue. Being paraded around the market, fending off men and protecting Inoue was her life, till she was bought by a rich stranger. In the medieval, human-trafficking ridden era of the never-ending Arabic desert, how will the story of a prejudiced slave and an ill-rumored king unfold?
1. Chapter 1

**_Hello peeps! This is a story that had been revolving in my mind for quite some time now. It's a 3 chapter deal, and shall be updated on a weekly basis. _**

**_Hope you'll like it. :)_**

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_Chapter 1 : The Dirt-Ridden Slave_

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"Behave yourself!"

I whipped around my head to glare at the old, pot-bellied man holding me by the chains. His wrinkled face gleamed with sweat in the blistering heat, and I hoped the heat would give him sunstroke strong enough to kill. "I obey no one, imbecile."

Oh, the pleasure I felt on seeing those ugly creases on his face sink in deeper.

The next thing I knew, the chains cuffing my wrists were yanked and I stumbled backwards, on the unwelcoming clothed chest of the bastard. The stench of liquor and stale onions and god-knows-what-else infiltrated my nostrils as he leaned in more than necessarily. As much as I wanted to push away, the increasing bite of the chains held me back and all I could do was scrunch up my face. "Careful there, girl. I could sell you to the Ruthless Emperor any moment."

Before I could tell him to screw himself over, a lanky figure intervened, blocking his unpleasant face from my sight. "P-please forgive us sir! It won't happen again!"

"Inou-"

There it was. That dangerous gleam in the geezer's eyes. To be honest I wasn't one bit intimidated by it. He could wear his eyes out giving me that look all eternity and I wouldn't as much as flinch. However, at the moment, that gleam was directed at not only me, but also the strawberry-haired woman separating us.

Inoue Orihime.

The only good thing in my life.

Her soft eyes were pleadingly beguiling him. "Please l-let it go sir. I-it won't happen again…"

The old man gave us- to be more specific, me- a dirty look before letting out an indignant 'hmph' and stalking away. Off to harass a new girl, in all probability. I shook my head a little before trying to loosen the chains.

_Sniff._

My body froze. No. Not again!

Gulping nervously I looked up to see what I feared. Big, watery brown eyes looking back at me, with only sadness and disappointment swimming in them.

I tried mustering a smile. "Inoue. I'm good-"

"He would have sold you for sure today," she spoke between sniffs, face growing sadder with every word. "Why did you have to kick him? What would have I done if you were gone?!"

I looked at the girl before me. At the voluptuous chest and otherwise lanky body in those tattered rags, that trembled like a leaf with every sob that wracked her body. At the long, somewhat choppy ginger tresses flowing down her back; at the pale skin marred with dirt and bruises. I took a step towards her, pulling her hands in mine.

Such a waste of a beauty.

And then I looked down at my attire, much similar to hers. Blistered feet, tattered rags, bruised hands, dirty hair. Not even half the beauty that she was. Not even half the angel she was either. She was the bright sun, radiating happiness and optimism all around with that heart-warming smile… like an oasis in this parched desert of a life we had. And here I was, a snarling, pessimistic and cold woman with only glares to spare.

Like the aloof moon that thrived on the radiance of the sun.

The only thing that connected us was our misery.

We were the same, girls plucked from poor villages for sale in the market.

Once again I thought of how everything would have been different, had we not been born in this land of poverty and corruption. Inoue would have been the beauty of those fairy tales, the princess of our village who would have had countless suitors at her feet. But it would have been the Prince of our land, who would have ultimately swept her off her feet. And I would have been the one to give her off at the wedding, with possibly the biggest smile on my face.

But this was our reality. She was no princess, and there was no prince. There were only corrupt men, greedy merchants and frivolous rulers.

"Kuchiki-san!"

I flinched, blinking out of my thoughts. Inoue was still sniffing and looking at me, albeit expectantly. Her arms were by her side, fisted palms trembling.

Something in my chest lurched. To have someone like her by my side meant God had to exist.

The person who kept me alive was someone I disheartened, scared and hurt so much. Grrr. I was so terrible!

I managed to crack a grin, still holding her arm. "But I'm still here, aren't I?"

Her face filled with anger, offering a rare sight. "Kuchiki-san! How can you say that so easily! If he had sold you to the Ruthless Emperor-"

"Ruthless Emperor?"

Come to think of it, even the old geezer had mentioned this name.

"You don't know him?" Inoue exclaimed, gasping loud enough for the women in our troupe to turn their attention towards us.

I held in a wince. Inoue could be so bubbly sometimes.

"He is the infamous emperor of our land!" another from the crowd exclaimed. I cocked my head to figure out the brunette. What was her name again? Michiru something… she was a new recruit. Just a notch below Inoue in the bubbliness forte. "It is said that he has a harem of female slaves….every night, he calls one of them to his room…and then-" she paused.

I waited for a few seconds before asking the much anticipated "And then?"

"And they never return!" Inoue interrupted, eyes wide and tears no longer in sight.

I looked at her, deadpan. What happened to the dam that was about to burst? "What?"

"Seems like they get executed." This time a tall raven-head spoke up. Ryo. Always quiet. I kind of liked her. "It's probably entertainment for the emperor."

"How do you-"

"The emperor's own advisor has seen this happen. He has been trying to warn women to steer clear of public places."

There was a terse silence.

I could feel bile rising in the back of my throat. The king was sick. The people were sick. Hell, this place was sick. Why? Why did any of us have to be born here? I'd much rather be born someplace where I could live with the dignity of a human, if not even a woman.

"We couldn't possibly get any unluckier than this." Ryo broke the silence, pointedly looking at the old bastard standing some distance away, wolfing down the trunk of water.

I knew I liked that girl.

A few giggles erupted, followed by full blown laughs. The collectively coarse laughter didn't sound like the pretty, sugar coated laugh of all the Arabic princesses and nobles, but it was a beautiful sound to our ears and a welcome break in this bleak atmosphere. I managed a quirky smile of my own, all those negative thoughts retreating.

Yeah, if we could handle that geezer, we could handle anyone.

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It was another mundane day. The old geezer had herded us to the market, shouting all sorts of obscene prices for buying us. The sun was overhead, and for once I was grateful for my barely-there clothing. It offered some much needed ventilation in this heat.

"Hey lady."

I scrunched my eyes to look straight ahead at the frolicsome looking man staring at us. He seemed to be in his early 20s, dressed in pretty clothes.

Tch. Another spoilt brat from some noble family. The best way to deal with such brats was to ignore them and look about in a disinterested manner. That was a definite way of putting them off.

And I was doing a pretty good job of that till he walked past me. Dread filled me and I immediately did a 180 degrees. Inoue stood there, reluctance written all over her face as the man held her thin wrist, smiling obnoxiously.

Shit.

"Come with me. I'll shower you with riches, jewels and gifts you have never known of. A meaty-" his eyes pointedly travelled down to settle on her bosom before meeting her eyes "- woman like you belongs in my harem."

My blood boiled on seeing his tightening grip as Inoue squirmed uncomfortably, trying to tug free her arm. "Let me go! Please! Just let me go!"

The brat laughed a laugh so devoid of anything save malice that Inoue's eyes turned terrified. "As if." He gave her wrist a forceful tug, trying to pull her to him. "Come with me! I am buying you!"

The next second he was on the ground, hands cradling his stomach. Everyone stared at me, some in shock, and others in awe. Inoue, however, looked nothing short of horrified.

I looked at her. "I know what follows. But I am not letting this lecher get away so easily. In fact," I looked at the now furious brat, anger welling up. "That kick was too sweet a punishment for you!"

"You…!" he bellowed, getting up indignantly, glaring daggers at me. I got ready to deliver another kick when suddenly the chains cuffing me tightened, harshly pulling me back. That's when I remembered that the old geezer was still there, and my hands were cuffed.

Damn. I was done for.

The brat approached me slowly, stalking like a predator towards a cornered prey. His face held a very ugly, anticipating smile. For some reason, the anger within me just multiplied on seeing him. I just didn't give a damn anymore. To hell with the geezer and the ass of a noble. If I was going down, it wasn't going to be without a fight. These two would be going down with me.

As he raised his hand to swing my way, I raised my knee to deliver another kick. However, before either of us could do anything, a strong, tanned hand interrupted, holding the brat's hand in place.

My eyes must have mirrored the brat's, surprise written in them, as we both cocked our heads to see the stranger who had dared to interrupt us.

The first thing I saw was amber eyes. Strong, clear amber eyes.

Their intensity startled me for a moment, effectively bringing down that raised knee. Those eyes were all I could focus on, but maybe that was because of the fact that the rest of the stranger's face and head were covered with a cloth. He held gazes with me for a moment longer before turning to face the brat. "Leave her." Then he looked past me at the old geezer. "We'll be taking all of them."

Whatever spell I was under broke, and suspicion welled up within me. Was this brat an accomplice of his?

He walked past me, stopping for a moment.

"You don't die on people who care for you."

My eyes widened and I felt my heart give a leap.

But the feeling disappeared as soon as he stalked away and Inoue ran towards me, enveloping me in a bone-crushing hug.

* * *

It had been a week since the day our freedom had been bought by the mysterious stranger. Well, to be honest, our freedom had been bought the day we had been forcibly dragged into this human trafficking business, all those years ago.

It had been a week since I had been living in a dream.

For the first time in years I had polished tiles and not coarse sand beneath my feet. The afternoons were no longer relentless rounds in the blistering heat but relaxed lounging indoors. My skin looked so clean, so fresh that I had to pinch it to check if it was indeed my skin. For the first time in life I had jewels and rich clothes adorning my body. Inoue's happy face, our comfortable living conditions were so surreal that I had been unable to accept any of it. For some reason it felt like we were animals herded in for a sacrifice.

I had tried to not think too much of it, instead choosing to invest my time in searching for that mysterious amber eyed man at the market. Who, for the record, had vanished like a mirage in the desert. Nobody seemed to know of him or his whereabouts. So to be honest, I had just been making the most of the luxury we were being offered, occasionally keeping an eye out for any suspicious happenings.

Survival mattered, after all.

Till the night the first woman from our troupe was summoned. It was Rio.

None of us knew how to react. The guard who had come to escort was a quiet fellow, choosing to oblige us with an unhelpful 'To His Highness' on our questioning. His Highness? There were so many nobles. We did not even know where exactly we were. The bulky frame of the guard stopped us from questioning him further.

So we bade good luck to an indifferent looking Rio, who wasn't looking all that indifferent for a change. Apprehension showed on her face.

Which, as we found later, was not mis-founded.

She didn't return the next morning. A new girl was summoned from the Harem, someone I didn't know. She didn't return either. One day. Two days. Five days. At the end of which we were down by five girls, none having shown any traces.

The women gossiped. They were now sure that we were in the Capitol, Karakura which was under the rule of the Ruthless Emperor. Why else would no female-slave return after the night? He must have used them through the night and executed them in the morning, they decided.

It was a horrible thought, but I didn't know what else to make of it. Rio was probably gone for good.

My heart sank as I saw the girl struggle and cry with the guard on the sixth night. It was such a waste. These beautiful clothes, expensive jewellery, royal living conditions…. Such a waste. All showered on the innocent woman only for her to be sacrificed for the sick pleasure of some twisted noble.

The girl was crying. She wanted to live. Everyone here wanted to live. Maybe I could take her place-

Frustrated with the girl, the guard turned to Inoue and beckoned to her.

That sealed the deal for me. I _was_ going tonight.

"NO!" she protested strongly, holding my hands firmly.

I shook my head and gently grasped her hands, prying them off. "I'll be fine Inoue. Besides," I looked about cautiously, ensuring no soul was in sight, before revealing the slit of my lower garment to show a dagger. "I'll end this today."

Her face grew stern from shocked, eyes filled with reluctance. "This will put you in danger-"

"I have to go Inoue." I interrupted her, casting a surreptitious glance at the guard standing some distance away, waiting to escort me before looking back at Inoue. "Someone has to do this. And you know I can."

Her teeth were digging into her lower lip, and her eyes were shadowed with anxiety, but she let go of my hand. That doleful face looked at me for a few minutes before she pulled me in for a hug, encasing my entire frame in a tight hug.

I knew that must have taken a huge toll on her, letting me walk into possibly death's mouth- but of the two of us, if there was anyone who could do this, it was her. I didn't have the strength and courage to let her walk towards danger, and bear the angst of losing her. Maybe I was a coward for thinking that way, but I had done it once too many times before, and now… I just didn't have anything left in me to go down that path again.

We parted, equally reluctant, exchanging tensed smiles before I waved at her and turned around, inhaling deeply before meeting the vigil guard's eyes.

It was time.

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**_So how are you all finding it so far? All opinions are welcome and appreciated!_**

**_Till next week. Signing off._**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Greetings people!**_

_**halobeast-117 : Ooh, you play the game too? Thanks!**_

_**Read Love And Review : Haha thank you! And no, they won't be rivals here. I actually wanted to explore the layers of their friendship in the first chapter, since this chapter will be focused on Ichigo and Rukia.**_

_**JustGrace13 : Thanks! I hope you enjoy this!**_

_**Guest : Haha, I guess you'll have to wait and find out!**_

_**hunterofcomedy : OMG hi! It's been so long! I haven't had any interaction with you in ages. It's actually inspired by the Arabian Nights which I came across a few weeks back. And that got me thinking, what if Rukia/ Ichigo had a story in Arabic lands? Thanks a lot anyway!**_

_**usuratonkachixx : Haha thank you so much!**_

_**hirako shinji : I like that name. Thanks!**_

_**teshichan : Haha I guess I am no good at creating mystery, huh? Thanks!**_

_**Guest : Woah. Thank you so much. I am really glad you like it so much! And haha, sorry but there will only be 3 chapters and an epilogue at the most.**_

**_FelicityHeights : Thank you so much! I am usually all for description, but in this story I wanted to focus more on the characters. Thank you for your encouragement, once again!_**

_**StrawberryBADDESTfemale : Woah, that's one bold name! Thanks a lot. Your wish has been granted - this chapter is 3500+ words XD**_

_**Guest : I don't know if you have reviewed before... but you must know, that this update happened because I saw your recent review. Thanks, and I hope you enjoy it!**_

_**I won't even go into the reasons for the delay of this chapter. Well, actually I will... but towards the end. For now, enjoy the chapter! :)**_

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_Chapter 2 : The Ill-Rumored King_

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I immediately disliked the guard.

He was a little too respectful to not suspect. I had been around enough guards, both royalty and not-royalty, to know that no guard let go without treating slave-girls like trash. If they were being remotely humane, something somewhere was extremely wrong. And this auburn-haired, bulky looking guard was being extremely distant and quiet.

I cast another discreet glance at him. Why was he being so civil?

Maybe what awaited me was something so repulsive that he wasn't even bothering having his share of sadistic fun.

That made me all the more weary of the so-called Ruthless Emperor. Against my will, my heart started thumping louder, threatening to burst out any moment. What was planned for me? What was he going to do? Was he going to do what had he done with all those girls?

We finally reached the giant, intricately designed pair of brass doors and I inhaled sharply. This was it.

This _was_ it.

The guard took a step forward and opened the doors, gesturing for me to walk in. He didn't forcefully push or pull or anything.

Suspicious. Something was definitely up.

As the doors silently shut behind me, every sense went on alert. My eyes roved past the expensively decorated walls, the crystal chandelier hanging overhead and the king-sized bed to the broad silhouette standing at the veranda entrance.

Was he the Emperor? After all, the over-sized black robe he had adorned looked too expensive and royal for him to not be the emperor.

His face was turned away from me and all I could make out was his still back. As I took a silent step ahead, he stayed rooted to his spot, giving no indication that he had heard me.

A thought struck me.

This was the perfect chance. I could stab him from the back while he was still oblivious – at least that seemed to be the case. Aware or oblivious, I had to take my chances either way.

Slowly and noiselessly taking out the dagger, I stalked towards him. One step, two steps, three steps, four steps, five steps, pause. And then I struck.

It all happened so fast.

He turned around, held my wrist, pulling me to him and deflected the blow of the dagger. Taken by surprise, the dagger slipped from my fingers and fell behind him on the ground with a resounding clatter. I stood there, gaping at him as he looked down from my wrists into my eyes. I noticed he had orange hair peeking out of the cloth turban. His amber irises roamed about, as if searching for something in my eyes.

Amber eyes…?

My breath hitched. "It's you." I didn't know why my voice came out in a whisper even though I was sure I wanted to scream.

His face, devoid of all expression, continued staring in my eyes. "And it's you." He whispered back in the same tone.

We stood for a moment in silence, in the same position, looking at each other.

It was him. It was _him. _

And then he scowled just as I felt my face scrunch in a frown.

"What's your problem?" he asked sternly, head momentarily turning to look at the fallen dagger. When he looked back, his eyes were surprised. "You were trying to assassinate me?"

I had started struggling to free my wrists by now. This was bad. Really, really bad. "Leave me!"

"Why should I?" he countered, the grip on my wrists tightening. He was beginning to look mad.

I glared at him, my brain going into overdrive as I struggled against his grip. I had to escape. Now. "Who are you? And why are you here? Leave me!"

Incredulity registered on his face as he stared down at me. "You tried to kill me without knowing who I was?"

"Leave me!"

"No!"

"Leave me!"

"No, answer me first!"

"No, first leave me!"

He pulled me closer, seriousness etched on his face. "You woman, better answer me right now. Or else get yourself sent to the gallows right away, without even a chance to explain your actions."

My heart nearly stopped beating. He was serious. Quite reluctantly, I stopped struggling and tried swallowing back the panic. "Okay. But leave my hands."

As he released my hands I took a step back, drawing my wrist behind and rubbing it. He didn't need to know how much that grip had affected me. Honey-colored irises bore into mine. "Explain."

"Explain what?"

The scowl was back on his face. "Why were you trying to kill me?"

I collected my thoughts before asking him a question of my own. "Are you the Emperor?"

He blinked and opened his mouth as if to argue, but seemed to think better of it and instead answered my question. "Yes."

I took in a deep breath and closed my eyes. I knew it. The amber-eyed man at the market could not have been good news. He was the wolf disguised as the sheep. Why had I thought that man was different? That he was a savior? That maybe there was a decent soul in this hell?

All these people were mixed. All these corrupt, money-hoarding, disrespectful bastards.

Renewed hatred flowed through me and I snapped open my eyes to glare at the _emperor_. "There you have your answer."

We glowered at each other. I looked on as his face morphed into anger and confusion. "What do you mean?"

"That day at the market. You didn't save us. You bought us to this hell. To torture us and appease the monster in you." The panic was long forgotten and I felt something stronger, something angrier, something disappointed surge in my chest. "You bring women to your harem, slave them through the night to appease you, and then hang them in the morning. That is your definition of entertainment? That brings you joy? You are a monster. A MONSTER!"

He looked on, face unreadable, arms crossed across his chest. I felt my breath coming in short spells, the words temporarily ceasing to spew out of my mouth. This man… I was wrong. So wrong.

So stupid, too.

"Which town are you from?"

"Huh?" Had I heard him right? Had he just dismissed my outburst?

"I asked, what town are you from?"

Such a bastard. He actually overlooked my outburst. "Seiretei."

The expression on his face turned thoughtful. "That is the village with Japanese immigrants…as well as the highly educated population. It's famous for the legends and tales told by the shrine priests…" he looked back at me, genuine curiosity written in his eyes. "Do you know any of them?"

"So what if I do?" I snapped back. It didn't matter that he was the emperor. In that moment, it was just him, the amber-eyed man who I had seen in the market and me, the slave.

His eyes hardened. As the silence ensued, I felt my anger subside and be replaced by something akin to resignation. Why was I so angry anyway? It's not like I had known him long enough in that fleeting moment to expect character of him.

"Tell me a story."

This was not what I was expecting him to say. "What?"

He nearly rolled his eyes. "Tell me a story. A myth, a legend from your village. I have always been curious to know of them."

"Why?" I shot back.

"Because that is the only way to save your life." He countered.

All the anger rushed back. "I. Don't. Care. You can do whatever you want, _Your Highness_."

I regretted the words as soon as they left my mouth. No, I didn't wish to die. There was Inoue. I could not die. But for some reason, there was a very foreign sensation in my chest. It was a mix of resentment, anger, pain… and something else that this man seemed to be arousing in me. And that, was what made me talk so recklessly.

"You are not alone, are you?" he finally spoke. "There is another female in your troupe, whom you exchanged turns for today. Do you really wish to die and leave her behind?"

I swallowed. Of course I didn't, but he didn't need to know that.

He sighed. "You are a difficult woman."

Don't answer him Rukia. Don't.

"Look, let's have a deal. I will give you a chance to attack me every night."

I felt my jaw drop open. What was he saying? "What?"

He smirked, and it struck me that this was the first time I was seeing it on his face. "I will leave an opening for you to attack me, every night. But, if you fail, you have to tell me a tale from your village. And since you have failed in your attempt today, you have to tell me a tale. Agreed? You don't have an option anyway," he added even as I opened my mouth to protest.

This was absurd. Tell him stories? I hated him! He was a monster, a hell guard, a man I hated and despised and…ugh! No Rukia, say no, refuse him!

"Will you keep your word?" I asked instead.

Great going, Rukia.

His eyes twinkled. Was it the light in the room? "You have my word."

_No Rukia_, my mind berated. _He repels you, disgusts you. He is a monster, a demon. Say no, turn around, walk away, pick up your dagger and stab him-_

"Okay." I inhaled deeply. "The tale I am about to tell you is of the King Shahryar."

* * *

Inoue was crying. Like, _crying_. Tears and all. Watery mucus was flowing from her nostrils and her eyes were scrunched up, dotted tears spotting her face and for once I was forced to think that maybe, maybe even the most beautiful of people had their ugly moments.

"You came back Rukia." She sobbed on my shoulder, arms encasing me in a tight hug. "You came back."

Despite myself I felt my chest swell. Here she was, my sister in bond, who was sobbing her eyes out after probably the most agonizing night of her life. It was evident in the way she had stared at me as if I were a spirit from beyond when I had returned to the inner palace this morning, a few moments ago. And I was feeling happy, so happy.

"Inoue," I mumbled, trying to make my voice reach her over the loud sobs. "It's okay. I told you I would be fine, didn't I?"

She said nothing and continued sobbing.

* * *

It was late afternoon and Michiru was still staring at me in wonder. "You made it through an entire night with the Ruthless emperor Rukia! And you returned safe and sound this morning! Fantastic! How did you manage this?"

Inoue was sitting close to me, almost cuddling. She was well aware of the deal I had with the King, but at the moment, all that seemed to matter to her was that I was safe.

"What can I say..." I trailed off. It had been the most-

-EXHAUSTING NIGHT OF MY LIFE!

The King was annoying, I decided. He kept listening to the tale with the interest of a toddler – demonic one, of course - , though his face had borne an indifferent look. And with the attention span of one too. For every time he'd interrupt me with baseless questions like 'why did he do this?' or 'how did he find out about his wife?' or 'when would he find the truth?'

Annoying. So, so, _so_ annoying. I had just found another reason to kill him off for good.

In the morning, before leaving, he had the gall to tell me – "See you again tonight. Let's hear the fisherman's tale."

Oh he was definitely going to die.

* * *

"Did she finally kill him?"

I sighed. Fifth day. It had been the fifth day since I had taken up the job of entertaining the monster king. Quite unwillingly at that.

And I hadn't been able to find a single opening to attack him! He was smarter than all that orange hair made him look.

"Your Highness," I tried controlling my temper, "if you will keep your patience I will endeavor to reveal just that to you."

His brows furrowed. "Well? What are you waiting for then?"

Angry. Angry. So angry.

Smiling brightly at him, I aimed the nearest book at his stomach. "Oh my! A thousand pardons Your Highness!" I added a gasp for effect, "It slipped my fingers!"

He grunted, bent over and clutching his stomach. Nothing came out of that abhorrent mouth of his.

I controlled the smile from breaking on my face. Ha! Maybe I could kill him with such injuries.

"You witch!"

The smile dropped off my face. He was definitely going to die from multiple stabs of my dagger.

* * *

I sighed in frustration as he ducked and knocked the dagger off my hands, making it skid out of my reach. He raised an eyebrow as he watched me huffing and panting, trying to get my breath back.

It was the tenth day. And I still had no success in killing him.

"So can we resume narrating the fate of the fisherman?" he asked in a bored voice.

I wanted to kill him. So badly.

"The fisherman told the genie," I continued, rushing towards him and aiming an unsuccessful punch that he dodged, "that it was extremely difficult to believe-," he dodged the kick too! I needed that dagger. "That he could fit into a bottle that tiny. But the genie continued asserting that he was capable of doing it." Finally! The dagger was back in my hands! I shot the King an evil look before rushing towards him.

"To prove his point, the genie rushed back into the bottle-"

He caught hold of the wrist that held the dagger and twisted my hand so that it was at my back. However, the force had him tumbling and falling on his back with me on top of him.

"– and the fisherman immediately seized the bottle, sealing the genie in it and-"

My mouth stopped moving, choosing to pant instead. The entire length of my body lay on top of his, our faces inches away from each other's. We both were breathing hard - him not so much – our breaths mingling. Our eyes met and I realized I could see the flecks of orange and brown in his eyes, the spotless texture of tan on his face, the distinct outline of his lips…

His eyes held so much of warmth. Something that had been there since the first time we met.

"And?" he asked quietly. Something in his eyes had become darker, and more intense.

"And capturing him… forever."

It was not until a few seconds of hard breathing had passed that I realized his grip on my wrist had loosened. Immediately I moved my hand and brought it forth aiming for his head.

Though surprised, he immediately pushed me off him and sat up. I sighed in frustration. Again! Again I had missed it!

And then he laughed. His laughter echoed off the closed walls, cutting through the eerie silence of the night.

For a moment I lost all train of thought. Such a loud, clear sound.

I had never heard him laugh before.

In the few days that I'd spent with him, he had been aloof. The only expressions his face showed were indifference, boredom, scowl or an occasional smirk. Truth be told, he had a very distant and heavy aura about him. But a bright, unbridled laugh? This was a first.

Had he gone finally crazy? Wait, this could be a great opening –

He looked over at me, his laughter dying down. "You are stupid, Rukia." His face morphed into a sad looking half-smile. "But I am stupider."

Yes. He was _definitely _crazy.

* * *

"How do you know my name?"

He frowned at me. "What?"

It was the fifteenth day. Fifteen days since I had entered this hell-hole, fifteen days of unsuccessful attempts at assassinating the King.

And while narrating a story, it suddenly struck me that he knew my name. Since the past few days he had been addressing me by my first name. I had been meaning to ask him since the first time he called me by my name, but something always came up to distract me.

"How do I know your name?" he asked, looking back at me.

"Yes. I don't remember telling you or anyone in the palace about it."

He shrugged his shoulders carelessly. "A king has his needs. I know the name of every woman in my harem."

For some reason that rubbed me the wrong way. His harem? Had he just lumped me in with his harem?

"I am not a part of your harem."

He looked surprised at my tone. "Why are you angry?"

"Because I am not a part of your harem. I am just- just-"

"My assassin?" he supplied helpfully.

I glared at him. "Your murderer. Your Death. Your Hell. Your Punishment."

He smirked obnoxiously – which I, unfortunately, didn't find obnoxious anymore. "If this is hell, I don't wish for heaven."

_Ba-thump._

I decided it was a good time to resume the story. "So then the prince walked-"

"Ichigo Kurosaki."

I looked at him.

"My name. You never asked." He clarified, giving me an unreadable look before shaking his head. "Not that anybody does."

I blinked. Ichigo Kurosaki? That was a Japanese name. Was he a Japanese too?

But then I realized it didn't matter to me. "How does that matter to me anyway? I still get to call you Your Majesty."

"No," he clarified quickly, "you don't need to call me Your Majesty. Just call me Ichigo."

I am not going to call you that, I wanted to say. "Ichigo." I mumbled instead, the word tasting foreign to my lips.

And in that moment, I felt something between us break.

"If I feel like it I'll call you so." I mumbled on seeing his expression. "Till then it's Your Majesty."

He nodded, the beginning of a smile forming in the corners of his eyes.

It scared me.

It scared me to realize that I was beginning to see the human side of him that craved a sense of belonging.

* * *

I yawned again. This was getting so tiring!

"And the man walked away…"

How many days had it been since I had last had a good night's sleep? Nights in their entirety would be spent entertaining the King with stories, while days would be spent walking around and exploring the Palace with Inoue and others.

Suddenly my head was on the pillows, blankets being piled on me. All sleep vanished as my senses went on alert. "What are you doing?" I screeched at Ichigo and tried getting up.

But he pushed me down. "Sleep Rukia. You need to rest. You haven't had proper sleep in the past three weeks."

Panic took over. I couldn't sleep. No. Because if I slept and it dawned the King would execute me-

"I won't kill you." He said while rolling his eyes. "You will wake up safe and sound in the morning. You have my word."

He was lying. He was definitely lying. He could not be saying the truth.

And then he laid down, facing me. His palm came to rest on the top of my head. It was the first sign of affection I had ever received from him. "Rukia," he started, "I am _not _going to kill you. Please trust me and go to sleep. I want you to rest and recover."

I wanted to laugh in his face. Trust him? Really? The monster who killed Rio?

But instead I shut my eyes, holding back the burning moisture in my eyes.

How could a murderer have hands so warm?

* * *

_**So, how was it? There remains just one more chapter. And then maybe, a very short epilogue.**_

_**As you'll must have noticed, this story is mainly about Rukia's character as a slave. Hence the description of other characters, including Ichigo, is being kept to a minimal. But, I am leaving hints about his thoughts and pov too. Hope you'll can spot them!**_

_**Also, I am very sorry about the delay. :( Thing is, about 7 months back, I started an internship that's a necessary part of the course I am studying. And that has been eating up most of my time. Like, since the past 2 weeks and for the next 3-4 months, I'll be working all 7 days.**_

_**BUT! I love writing. It is my calling, and I know it. So updates may be a little erratic, but they will be there :D**_

_**Please share your opinions!**_


	3. Chapter 3

**_Hello People! Long time. Once again. _**

**_Here is the final chapter._**

**_An epilogue will be coming up shortly. It will tie up the remaining loose threads._**

**_Personally, I think this is the best ending for Ichigo/Rukia romance._**

**_Thank you for supporting this story as much as you did. _**

**_I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!_**

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_Chapter 3: The Fairy Tale_

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I have always loved _Daturas_.

Most people would call it an odd preference, given the poisonous nature of these innocent looking flowers. One wrong choice to add it as a condiment, and you could lose your life. The elders in our village would often tell us, the naive and utterly disinterested kids, stories of how daturas' flowers and seeds would be crushed to produce poison of the finest quality and slip it in drinks for one purpose – assassination.

But they were _so_ _beautiful_.

White, moon-shaped, thriving alone in any place that would let them… someone must have named them angel's trumpets for a reason. In spite of the poison flowing within – the inexorable, intrinsic nature they are born with – they bloom so brightly, so radiant, so hopeful, giving unfathomable joy to the onlooker… how could anybody hate them?

My brother would often -

"RUKIA!"

The voice startled me so badly that I almost tore off the petals of the _datura_ in my hand. Taking in a deep breath, I calmed myself before turning around to glare at the offender.

A very unapologetic and curious looking emperor who had _no_ business to be here.

_Even though it's his palace garden and I am obviously the intruder here…_

"What are you doing here?" I asked him, annoyance coursing through my entire being in waves. It was late afternoon and I was admiring the vast gardens of the palace, minding my own business. It was one of those rare days when I had moments all to myself, with no Michiru or Inoue or any other person surrounding me.

I loved Inoue the most in this world – but I needed some time for myself.

And then there was the King. As far as I was concerned, I was not required to see his aggravating face for another few hours at least. Why was he here then? Didn't he stay in the official quarters during the day?

His eyes flashed. "Some way to greet the emperor, dear consort."

_Consort._

I was going to kill him.

Holding back some choice words that would've no doubt, established just how much of a consort I was, I turned away and tried focusing my attention on the patch of daturas.

_Daturas._

_Brother…_

The grass beside me rustled and to my absolute horror, the King settled himself comfortably beside me, his eyes studying the moonflowers with genuine interest. As soon as I felt his shoulder touch mine, I scooted away as far as possible.

He tore his gaze from the flowers and frowned at me. "Do you loathe me that much?"

"Absolutely. I hate you."

He stared. "Such conviction. You mean it."

"And your point is?"

Why was I so angry all of a sudden?

The past few days had actually been… calm. I still tried killing him at every opportunity I could, and he dodged every time, and we still exchanged insults - well, I would be the only one doing the insulting while he would wave me away in that infuriatingly nonchalant manner of his – but on the whole… I hadn't been this angry in a while now.

_Why have I not been angry in so long?_

That brought along with it another set of thoughts, which I firmly refused to acknowledge. Shaking my head, I refocused on the King, still studying me thoughtfully.

Did nothing infuriate this man?

"Do you like daturas?"

That took me by surprise. This man… he always dismissed my upsurges! "That is none of your concern, I believe."

He sighed. "Back to where we began, huh."

I wanted to tell him we had begun _nothing_, but he turned back to the Daturas and said, "These flowers are poisonous. Why would you like them?"

He was not helping my temper. "So what if they are poisonous? These flowers are beautiful. That poison… it protects them. It saves them from the selfishness of humans who are only too eager to destroy every perfection they see." I turned to point at the patch of daturas, gently blowing to the late afternoon breeze. The sun was beginning to set, the sky colouring the white field in breath-taking shades of orange.

And then that feeling, that sensation of having witnessed the same scene under a different sky in a different time washed over me, bathing my senses in a strange numbness. The breeze carried with it a voice I had not heard in years but had repeated, a billion times, in my mind every night, trying to hold on to every remnant of its memory. The deep baritone, the flatness, the low pitch, the assuring tones…

_Daturas are poisonous, but it is in their nature Rukia. If they were not poisonous, how would they protect themselves?_

"I know," I say, hoping it will reach him.

But I know it doesn't.

Every night, there are a billion things I imagine telling him if I could see him one last time.

_You were always right, brother._

_I plucked the oranges off that tree that day._

_I am sorry about being a brat that day at the gathering._

_I always loved you._

_I want to listen to the story of the genie._

_You were the best brother I ever had._

_I am a very strong girl right now._

_I am no longer scared of daturas. In fact, I love them. _

_I miss you._

What would I tell him, if I could see him again? Which of these would convey the millions of scattered thoughts, musings and emotions I had been holding onto since his death?

But he was not here. No matter how much I searched or prayed or ran or cried, there would be no coming back. In death and only death could I hope to find him.

All my life, I have never, ever wanted to give up and die as much as I did in that moment.

Why fight? Why live? Why not just give up and join him wherever he was? This world was hell anyway. Only murderers, assassins, corrupt men, strangers existed here.

My home had been destroyed years ago. I didn't belong anywhere, anymore.

I wanted to go back, I realised. Go back to the world where my brother, my friends were alive. Where I had a family to live with, a home to belong to. Where cruelty didn't exist, where Inoue and I could be happy-

_Inoue._

And just like that, I blinked, the sight before me fading into nothingness. There was no Datura field, no brother, and no breeze anymore. I was back in the darkening garden with the small patch of daturas before me, staying deathly still.

I withdrew my hand. It had started aching, and I hadn't even realised. The ache within me remained though, a reminder of the fact that the pain of losing my brother had never really faded behind the pillars of strength I had built over the years. It persisted; it was the foundation on which my strength had been built. A painful irony, that my pain is what made and kept me strong.

I also realised something – the King was still watching me.

He suddenly looked older, mature and beyond his years – his eyes gazing so intently that I felt he were looking right through me, seeing into me.

He looked away, eyes scanning the horizon. "I see."

It was only later that I realized I had been crying.

* * *

"Kuchiki-san?"

"Mm?"

"The commander wants to meet you."

"W-what? The commander?"

Panic settled. Had they found out? Had the King finally made use of his wits and told them that I was out to assassinate him?

I absolutely loathed the small voice in the corner of my mind that whispered, _No he wouldn't. _

"He wants to see you now." The guard repeated in a sterner voice, taking my hesitation to be a sign of potential rebellion.

I looked back at Inoue, laughing at something with Michiru.

_Whatever happens, keep her safe._

I looked back at the guard, his impatience beginning to show in the restless flexing of his fingers and tapping of foot. "Alright."

* * *

"Ah there you are."

I closed the brass doors behind me. Every time I'd shut them, they'd close with a resounding _bam_, announcing my presence.

But today they came together noiselessly, as if shielding my presence. Not that it worked.

The King was lying on his back, his eyes drooping. "I don't feel so well today…"

_I know._

"Was it something bad that I ate today?"

_No_.

"I must have spent too much time outside."

_That's not it either._

"Anyway, I think I will rest. You can sit here and continue your story." He managed a small smile. "The pauper who fell in love with a prince, right?"

My throat felt like lead. "Yes," I managed.

He shut his eyes, draping one arm over them. "Go on. Tell me."

I walked towards his bed chambers, silently seating myself next to his sleeping form. Every part of me felt numb from within.

This was it.

It would all end today.

He lifted his arm to peek at me. "No attacking? You have a great opening today."

For a scary – and strangely relieving moment – I was sure he knew. He knew he had been-

He coughed. "It's worse than I thought." He mumbled, draping back his arm over his eyes. "Please continue. I think I will fall asleep in moments."

It felt surreal. I felt like I was not in my body. I was a spectator watching the events unfold – my mouth spouting a story I vaguely recall hearing in childhood, his hands shifting uncomfortably over his eyes, the dagger on my side weighing down with every ticking moment.

His eyes finally shut. And I knew they would not open for a good while.

Forever, if the body that presently felt like a stranger's did what it had been sent to do.

'_We have administered poison from the daturas in his wine. It should take effect within minutes of you being summoned in his chamber.'_

I bent over his face, checking his breathing. It was stable… near dead.

'_It may not be enough to kill him. But you will have the perfect opening to drive your dagger through his heart.'_

I removed the dagger from the hilt wrapped around my waist. It gleamed in the dim lights of the chamber, looking surreal.

'_Take the chance, and kill him Kuchiki. Avenge your friend and thousands of other women who have had to die at his hands.'_

I looked at the dagger. Had it always been this heavy? It didn't matter. My body didn't feel like mine anyway.

'_We will station our guards outside the door to ensure nobody disrupts our victory. You will not be executed – we, the righteous ones, shall take over the throne and condemn the King for his crimes.'_

"King," I recalled, looking at the King's sleeping face. "They all call you King. Do they know your name?"

'_Remember-the wicked always die for their crimes.'_

"You are wicked," I didn't know if I was telling him or convincing myself, "you killed Rio. You killed all those women who had been enslaved here for no fault of theirs,"

Get angry, Rukia. Get angry. Think of all the horrible things he has done. _You have been waiting for this_, I reminded myself.

I looked at his sleeping face, imagining the devil behind that sea of calm and innocence. "You have harassed people in your rule. Encouraged trading of women like ordinary market commodities, subjected them to horrible atrocities-"

The hand holding the dagger was beginning to feel like a part of me again. My senses were returning to my body.

_Good, keep going._

"- you singled me out from your- your-your _harem_, not that I am a part of it!"

The anger began coursing through me, reflecting in my rising voice.

_You are doing well. _

"You are cruel, terrible, inhuman, and monstrous and every other filthy word I can think of! How could kill those women? How could you exploit them only to have them executed in the morning?"

_Kill him, kill him, kill him._

Everything was coming back to me. That day at the market, when we first met…

"How could you buy us from the market and bring us here? Why did you save me in the market? Why did you bring me here?"

_Yes, he deserves this._

The first night when I exchanged turns with Inoue and we made this deal…

"How dare you ignore my outburst and dismiss it as nothing? Why did you force me into this story-telling deal with you? Why did you anger me till I could think of nothing but assassinating you?"

_Yes, he deserves death._

The nights after that when I'd attack and he'd dodge…

"You made a fool out of me. Pretending to look oblivious when you were clearly aware of my intentions to attack you. Why? Why did you do something so infuriating and foolish?"

_Yes, he deserves to be killed._

That day in the flower fields…

"Why did you come there? _How dare you come there?_ Why couldn't you have left me alone? Why did you follow me and ask me all those questions and try prying in matters that are none of your business-"

_Yes, how dare he? He should die._

The guards outside could probably hear me. But I didn't care. I was so angry, _so _angry. I wanted to stab and strangle and stab and strangle and stab and strangle the man before me till he gave me the answers for all these questions.

I caught him by his collar and shook him, the dagger lying forgotten on the bed. Maybe I would strangle him after all, this lying, cheating bastard-

"Why are you like this?

'_I want you to rest and recover, Rukia,'_

"Why are you a villain – "

'_You never asked. Not that anyone ever does.'_

"- A murderer-"

'_If this is hell, I don't wish for heaven.'_

"- a monster…"

'_I am stupider.'_

"– A heartless creature – "

'_Do you loathe me so much?'_

"A manipulator – "

'_I see.'_

My eyes were stinging, vision blurred. I could no longer see his face. I felt pathetic, probably looked it too, but the burning knowledge of what I had been feeling and denying could no longer be shielded behind all the meaningless questions I had been throwing his unconscious person's way.

"Why do you make me believe you are _innocent, Ichigo_?"

At that exact moment, the brass doors flew open with an angry resonation. I let go of Ichigo's collar, grasping my knife and turning around to look in the heated eyes of the commander, flanked by a dozen guards.

"You." He snarled, his brown eyes gleaming angrily. "I knew a harem slave could not be trusted."

"You are mistaken," I replied, choosing to ignore the insult. "This man here has not committed the murders. There has to be a misunderstanding somewhere."

His thin lips curved in a cruel smile. "Oh? I know that."

The knife almost slipped off my fingers. "What?"

"I know he has done nothing," he continued, eyeing me in a disgusting manner. "We wish to overthrow him, since his ideology on ruling our kingdom goes against everything our ancestors ever did."

I was suddenly very, _very_ afraid of the man before me. "What do you mean?"

He clicked his tongue. "This man wanted to take down the women-selling market and stop the harem rites. Foolish man. He refuses a tradition set by the most ancient of rulers!"

The relief that washed over me was so paramount that I almost laughed.

_I was right. He is a good man._

But I could also feel bile rising to the back of my throat, which did nothing to lessen the fear and repulsion I felt from this man. "How can you even think like that – you lied to me. You _wanted_ me to kill him!" it suddenly made sense. "That is why you sent for me. If I had assassinated him, you would've simply put the blame on me, executed me and taken over the throne."

"Enough talk." He sneered. "You failed in your task to assassinate the King."

"Ichigo."

"What?"

"Ichigo." I repeated a little louder this time. "His name is Ichigo. And I will _not_ let you kill an innocent. His reputation has been tarnished enough by the likes of you anyway."

The commander inhaled sharply before clicking his fingers in a silent order for the guards to lunge at me. They took out their swords, the whole dozen of them, and rushed towards me. I backed towards the bed, readied my dagger, assuming a defensive stance.

It was alright. My heart felt strangely light – Ichigo was innocent. I would go down fighting a man who had been wronged. It didn't matter how many guards there were – I could take down at least two of them before being incapacitated.

And maybe atone for the way I had wronged Ichigo…

But the swords never reached me.

Once again, a tanned hand appeared from above my head and stopped the sword coming my way.

"I am beginning to suspect you enjoy me saving you."

My breath hitched.

It was _him_. He was _alive._

Ichigo got off the bed to stand beside me. In that moment, about twenty guards entered the chambers and I realised, for the first time since I had come here, the actual enormity of the chambers.

The commander and his guards were surrounded in no time. The commander scowled in Ichigo's direction. "You."

"And you." Ichigo retorted. His eyes were blazing with anger, lips pursued in a grim line. "I suspected you of treason and rebellion a long time back, Aizen. But given the goodwill you commanded in the army, I could not do anything without sufficient evidence convicting you of these crimes."

He looked at the guards who had entered the chambers and completely surrounded the commander and his allies. "You all bear witness to the confessions of this traitor! We heard him confess to tarnishing the reputation of the current King, of conspiring to overthrow and take the throne for himself. This man shall be taken for trial tomorrow morning, and his punishment – whether to be executed or exiled – shall be decided at the trial! Take him out of my sight for now!"

The guards bowed slightly before scurrying about to do their job. The commander kept screaming obscenities and thrashing against the guards, swearing revenge while his allies hung their faces, the fear of execution written on their faces. The chamber was soon empty, just Ichigo and me left behind.

I looked at him and blurted out the first thing on my mind. "How are you alive?"

He smiled a little at me, sweat drops lining his forehead. "Did you observe the field properly the other day, Rukia? It is filled not only with daturas, _but all sorts of poisonous herbs and flowers._ As an heir, a part of your training involves developing immunity towards poisons. Since childhood-" here he paused, sitting on the bed and closing his eyes. "I have been administered small doses of poisons of different kind – so that if anyone tries to poison, it would not kill me. Of course, if administered in small quantities, as was the case today."

He was smiling slightly, almost goading. He probably didn't intend to make me feel that way, but I was instantly hit by a novel sensation – pity. As a child he had grown up in a hostile environment, with enemies abound, and been told to trust no one… how lonely must that have been?

And it suddenly crashed on me. All these days, not once had I seen Ichigo Kurosaki, the person behind the villainous King I had been intent on building in my mind.

"The girls are safe," I looked back at him. He had not noticed my discomfiture, it seemed. "They were sent to a different village. I could have abolished the slavery system a long while back, but a leader's power _comes from his subjects._ And the loyalty of my subjects has been, for a long time, been divided Aizen who has always been there, and me, an heir with rebelling ideas. Hence I had no option but to wait till I got the opportunity to show all my subjects the truth of the real traitor."

"Rio is alive?"

"Yes."

The world was suddenly better. He was innocent, Rio was alive, and hell would be abolished.

But there remained one thing to be done.

I turned to fully face him. "Ichigo?"

His eyes registered surprise before his face morphed into a grin. "Yes?"

I inhaled deeply, before bowing, hiding my face from his eyes.

"What are you-" I could hear the surprise in his voice.

"I am sorry, My Lord."

It felt strange, but strangely right. This is something I should have done a long time back, but I didn't. Blinded by my misgivings and distrust, I had misjudged a good heart. Apologising from the bottom of my heart was the least I could do.

"I am sorry for trying to assassinate you. For all the cruel words I said, for all the terrible things I did. For all those miserable days I subjected you to, I am truly sorry. I understand that an apology does not absolve me of all that I have done…. And I understand if you don't wish to forgive me."

For a brief moment, there was silence. The courage to lift my head and look him in the eyes with the shared knowledge of me being in the wrong deserted me.

But somewhere deep within me, I knew he'd forgive me. I had known it since the first time we'd met in the market, when he had saved me from the precarious noble.

But the pain of losing Rio, of losing my brother to the cruel system in the past…. Most of all, the fear of losing my resolve to the apparent kindness I saw, heard and felt in Ichigo's presence every night we spent together, made me push that benefit of doubt to the darkest corners of my mind.

"Lift your head, Rukia."

_No_, my heart protested. But I lifted it, slowly, coming eye to eye with Ichigo.

He was looking at me with an unreadable expression. His eyes penetrated mine, trying to say something, ask something, search for something – and I suddenly felt very conscious. He was not just looking at me – his gaze was reading into every inch of my soul that I bared to him. He could see it all – my guilt, shame, fear and confusion.

It was the most vulnerable and honest I had ever been with anyone. I was letting him look in the darkest, dampest, most shielded corners of my being.

I had not intended for it to be that way, but it happened. This man had a pull I could not escape, a vortex I could feel myself getting sucked into since the first time we met.

_Why?_

Somewhere within, I knew why… but today was not the day I was going to get answers. Maybe someday in the future, when I could begin to understand him, I would understand all the whys as well.

"I understand."

I looked in his eyes, and then I knew.

He had known pain. He had known loss. He had known loyalty and love.

And in that moment, I felt another wall between us break.

The hand that had extended my way all those weeks back, not once faltering or failing me, was still there, blindly grasping for my fingers.

It was time to reach out to it.

"I am Rukia Kuchiki," I said, watching as his eyes morphed in confusion. "It's a pleasure meeting you, Ichigo."

The confusion in his eyes melted and he smirked. "You look familiar, Rukia. Have we met before?"

No Ill-rumored kings, no dirt-ridden slaves, no conspiring generals. It was time to begin afresh

– As just Rukia and Ichigo.

* * *

**So here it is!**

**I hope you all liked it. Maybe I made this last chapter a little too emotionally descriptive? **

**For the followers of COTP, it has been updated as well.**

**See you fellas soon! Thanks once again for the support, and I hope you liked it. :)**

**Opinions are most welcome! Feedback is the lifeline of aspiring authors.**


	4. The Epilogue

_**Here it is people!**_

_**The much-awaited epilogue.**_

_**Enjoy the read!**_

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_Epilogue : Our Memories_

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She was laughing.

For a reason I did not understand, she was there, at the end of the stony path in some valley of Seiretei, bent over and laughing with her friend, Inoue. It was a clear sound, rippling through the dusty _whoosh_ of the hot breeze, and I forgot everything for a moment.

A moment I say, because an annoying man smacked me back to awareness, _literally_.

I clutched my throbbing head and turned around to glare at Ishida Uryu, my adviser. What was the matter with him? He didn't have to smack me!

"As a matter of fact I did," he answered as though reading my thoughts, annoying me further. "You look like a hungry dog staring at her like that, Kurosaki. I could almost see the wagging tongue."

"I was _not-"_

"Seriously? I thought we were past the denials-"

"Okay, okay, OKAY! So I was staring at her. What else do you expect? I haven't seen her in over a month!"

It had been a little more than a month – 48 days to be exact, and of course I had been counting – since Aizen's trial. That was the last day I had seen Rukia and her troupe of friends, before sending them back to their villages. I had tried stopping Rukia and goading her into staying back, but honestly speaking, there was nothing I had to offer that could make her stay back. The one person she cared for the most had no affection for the luxuries of palatial living, and I suspected Seiretei held a sentimental value for Rukia, an attachment to which no other place in the world could compare.

And hence I had spent one very miserable month and 18 days.

It was not that there was lack of work – my days would be filled with reorganizing the inner council of ministers, reassigning portfolios, removing Aizen's loyal followers, transporting girls back to their respective villages, organizing the coronation ceremony which would be held to officially abolish the slavery and trading of subjects, and paperwork. A whole lot of paperwork, always ensured by the lovely Ishida Uryu.

But the nights… they would be so lonely.

With Rukia no longer around, I would have no option other than to sleep off the day's exhaustion. Sometimes I would lie awake and stare the jar she'd knocked off when attempting to punch me, the hard bound book ( I knew this from experience ) she'd throw my way when I'd annoy her, the doors she'd slam open every evening to announce her presence and obvious displeasure –

And then I'd think, _why is every memory of ours filled with acts of violence?_

Every night, I'd ask myself that question and almost laugh at it. There were no _our_ memories. I didn't know what her memories of us were, but my memories of us… they were of moments when our eyes would meet, and she'd turn away, afraid to let me in; when we'd come dangerously close in the game of assassination and she'd stare at me, her confusion at the obvious _tension_ between us seeping in me; when her voice would break when the subject of her brother would come up; when her fingers would unconsciously push back that strand of hair falling between her eyes…

I nearly groaned. _Save these for the night, idiot._

"Ichigo?"

My heart started thumping loudly and I felt irritation flare up within me. What _was_ the matter with me! Since when had I become so feminine?

"If you don't like us, why are you here?"

That's when I looked down – she was extremely short – into the blazing eyes of the woman who had been plaguing my nights. She and Inoue seemed to have noticed us standing and covered the path to reach us while I had been lost in my daydreams. Daydreams about those eyes. Those eyes which were blazing… angrily?

"What?"

"You were scowling at us."

My irritation must have shown. How would I explain it to her? "Um," was the intelligent reply I gave.

"That is the expression Kurosaki was born with, Kuchiki-san."

I glared at Ishida. _Thank you for the save, you bastard._ When I turned back to look at Rukia, she had her eyes trained on Ishida, studying him with great interest.

"You know my last name."

"I see no reason not to."

Bad answer. Rukia's eyes narrowed. "And pray tell, what may be the reason for this interest?"

Ishida's eyes glittered behind his glasses, which he adjusted in a sign of obvious excitement. "It is a little difficult to not know about the woman who invaded the palace walls, declared her intention to assassinate the emperor and ended up bringing down his biggest enemy."

Rukia smiled sweetly at him. "Or maybe Inoue told you."

At this Ishida straightened up, stiff and uncomfortable. "Maybe?"

When did he meet Inoue? "When did you meet Inoue?"

"He has been visiting our village to meet her since the past month and a half, Ichigo." Rukia answered drily, sparing a glance at her fidgeting companion.

A MONTH and a HALF? All this while Ishida had been seeing Rukia, here in Seiretei, and not once bothered telling me?!

"YOU-"

"They became acquainted in the palace while he was still your secondary adviser," Rukia interrupted me, calmly gauging Ishida. "Apparently he would be by Inoue's side through the night to make sure she didn't take any extreme steps out of her concern for my well-being."

"That was _not _what I was going to ask him!" Though it was something I had been unaware of previously, it was something I could question him about later. But there was obviously something more important than that right now-

Ishida smiled indulgently. "If I had not visited Inoue-san, how would you have kept tabs on the Emperor, Kuchiki-san?"

At this Rukia froze, her calm demeanor rumpling and panic-filled eyes darting to mine. I had a sudden déjà vu moment from the memories I recounted every night.

She immediately went on the defensive. "I did _not-_"

"You asked me about his health."

"Because he had been poisoned!"

"You asked if he still had the harem."

"Because I needed to know if those girls had been transported back safely!"

"You asked if he had finally won the favor and loyalty of all his court subjects."

"Because I was involved in the Aizen controversy!"

She was panting now, her cheeks puffed up and filling with blood, hair disarrayed due to the vigorous head shaking.

Ishida shrugged. "Okay."

She looked at me, and I tried my best to look neutral. But the damage had been done.

I was happier than I had been in the past 48 days.

Perhaps she sensed it too, for she rolled her eyes and crossed her arms across her chest. I had come to realize that the gesture meant she was being stubborn and in denial. "Don't let it get to your head, Ichigo."

"Too late for that."

* * *

"Rukia?"

"Mm?"

"Someday, I'll tell you about my mother."

I could suddenly feel her eyes on me. She said nothing, but I could feel her questions.

It was evening time. We had spent the entire day touring the village of Seiretei, with its rising white towers, churches, flower fields, people. Inoue and Ishida had wandered off with some children to explore some flowers, while Rukia and I sat here, on the steps leading to her house.

I looked at her.

We were not in the same place. Where were we? We had started out as enemies, moved on to begrudging acquaintances, cleared up all the misunderstandings to start afresh... and now we were in a strange place. Neither friends, nor acquaintances, nor.. anything more. All that had remained constant was this undeniable _something_ that had existed between us from the first moment we'd met; something I knew she felt too but had not come to realize.

And that is why we were _not in the same place._

Here we were, seated next to each other, shoulders nearly touching – the closest we had ever been, mutually and willingly…. But we were still far. She was in the realm of discovering what we had, and I… I had reached the destination called realization.

She was far from it. Far, far from it. But she had made a start.

Maybe someday we would be sitting on these very steps, and she would be laughing with me, and we would be remembering _our_ memories, and then we'd laugh together, hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder.

She would know my soul, I would know hers.

But that someday was still away. For today, this one little step would have to do. One step at a time, for her towards realization, and for me towards her.

Till then, I guess I would just have to wait.

"Ichigo?" she asked softly, an underlying current of nervousness in her voice.

I felt a smile grow on my face, happiness in my heart. "But before that - how would you like to come to the palace and be the moral educator for children?"

* * *

"Is _that_ why all those years back you-"

"No. Yes." Sigh. "Maybe. I wanted you, but it was also because you were very educated!"

Laugh. "You are such a girl, Ichigo."

"Your manliness makes up for it."

_Smack._

"I love you too, wife."

* * *

_**So here it is! The End. La Fin.**_

_**I enjoyed this so much. And I feel proud for having completed this story, this idea, this fantasy that I wished to share with you all.**_

_**I wanted to make the epilogue in Ichigo's POV. All through the story we got to see Rukia's POV - her strength, her fears, her confusion - why not Ichigo? Though here I have just touched upon the part of his character that is concerned with his feelings for Rukia. If you have read the previous chapters carefully, you'll realize that they spell out Ichigo's character as well. I guessed many of you might have wanted to see his POV concerning her!**_

_**As for what happens between their conversation on the steps and the snippet of the future... I guess that's a story for another day. Or up to your imagination! Sometimes, reading in between the lines and open endings spell out a lot more than concretely worded closure.**_

_**Thank you so much for your support. All your reviews, favorites, follows and hits in fact encouraged me greatly. You'll are a great audience! I hope you all enjoyed this ride as much as I did. :) Adios, and see you all in The Courting Of The Princess!**_


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